Review: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.

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📌 Disclaimer: I received an e-arc for review from the publisher.

I have to admit that I have been disillusioned with the fantasy genre lately. It's been so long, but finally I have found a fantasy book, the first in a planned trilogy, that blew me away! 

I liked that the characters in The Raven Scholar were on the older side, although I do have to say the main character, Neema, did not read like a thirty something year old. Don't get me wrong, she was a great mc, easy to root for, and I loved her scholarly nature. However, she was quite naive and wouldn't have felt out of place as an mc in a YA book. 

Another positive that I have to mention is how when describing characters the author mentions when they are white, thus not letting us assume they are white by default. I also appreciated that she plainly described the skin colour of POC, there was no food comparisons or ambiguous "bronze" nonsense. 

The Raven Scholar was also unexpectedly humourous. The humour came in the form of a Raven whose POV is included throughout. It narrates parts of the story and its sassy tone was so funny, I can imagine it being fun to listen to on audiobook. The main plot involves trails and although I'm not usually the biggest fan of trial storylines I actually enjoyed this one. The plot was very intricate and I honestly did not see the plot twist coming. I'm very curious to see how the story continues.  

The only thing that let me down was the romance. Normally I love a good friends to lovers arc (underappreciated, in my opinion), but Neema and her love interest, Cain, read like really good friends rather than lovers. Cain was a lovable and fun character, but there wasn't enough tension or chemistry between him and Neema. That being said it was only a small part of the book, so it can be overlooked.

To summarise, The Raven Scholar, was a welcome surprise, truly a breath of fresh air!

Rating:

                                                         

Review: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.

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📌 Disclaimer: I received an arc for review from the publisher. 

I enjoyed Rachel Gillig's YA debut, One Dark Window. The characters, the gothic vibes, and the romance was great. It's unfortunate then that Gillig's adult debut, The Knight and The Moth, fell flat. The problem for me lies in the fact that her YA debut was a fantasy with romance, whereas this is very much a romantasy. A genre that isn't my cup of tea despite the fact I love a good romance in my fantasy.

It felt like the story was created around the romance rather than the other way round. Thus leading to an underdeveloped plot with low stakes. Their quest to find and destroy all the relics was very rushed, there wasn't enough tension or any real sense of danger. The romance was also disappointing, the love interest was obsessed with the mc too quickly. 

Something else that didn't work for me was the use of curse words, they felt out of place in the fantasy setting. Something I would be fine with in a contemporary novel, but not in this genre. Also, apart from the spicy scene it read like YA. Which is an observation, not a criticism, as I enjoy YA fantasy. The best thing about this book was definitely the gargoyle, he was so funny. Plus, Gillig once again delivered with the gothic vibes.  

Overall, it was an okay read. Not compelling enough for me to continue, I can, however, see it working for romantasy fans. 

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Review: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms. 

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📌 Disclaimer: I received an e-arc for review from the publisher. 

This wasn't the most amazing book ever, the main characters were cliched and there was some obvious plot twists, such as the identity of Àn’yīng's jade pendant guardian. However, it was still a fun and easy read.

I loved the dark and alluring atmosphere, and the vampire like creatures called mó. I'm not a fan of trails in books as I usually find them boring, but as this read quite fast I didn't mind. I will say that I wasn't attached to the the main characters due to them being your stereotypical romantasy archetypes. Which meant I wasn't invested in their romance, despite some great moments of tension. Something that annoyed me was how the love interest, Yù’chén, kept saying Àn’yīng's name at the beginning or end of every sentence addressed to her. 

While I am somewhat curious to see how the story continues and concludes, I doubt I will be picking up the sequel. 

Rating: 

                                                                     

Review: A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lam

A gifted art forger, Truyan Saigas has the unique ability to paint the future. But when her father is lost at sea, not even magic can heal her family, or save her two younger sisters from the dangerous consequences of her mother's gambling debts.

Then Elang, a mysterious dragon lord, offers her a deal: in exchange for a fresh start for her mother and sisters, Tru must enter a marriage contract and join him in his desolate undersea palace.

Once there, Tru will embark on her most dangerous forgery yet. To infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King's inner circle and paint a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms...

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📌 Disclaimer: I received an e-arc for review from the publisher  
📌 Publication date: 05/06/2025

I would describe A Forgery of Fate as whimsical, which is not usually something that appeals to me. However, I thought the under water setting, with the talking turtles and sassy water demon, was fun. 

I loved the family dynamics in this, Tru's love for her sisters and her parents was heart-warming. Even better was the fact that she didn't forget about them after the love interest was introduced. She was focused on doing what she had to in order for them to have a better life, and that didn't waver throughout. Although she was sometimes reckless, doing things without thinking of the consequences, I wasn't mad about it as she was a lovable main character with an empathetic nature.

The romance between Tru and Elang was Beauty and the Beast-esque, which is a dynamic I like. While I found the plot twist regarding Elang obvious it didn't take away from my enjoyment. Nor did the fact that it was plain from the start that he liked Tru.

A Forgery of Fate is one of the better fantasy books I've read of recently, a strong standalone.

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Review: The Floating World by Axie Oh

Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime—a chest of coins for any mercenary who can h
unt down a girl who wields silver light.

Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light—a power she has kept hidden since childhood—and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn't realize she's the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined...

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📌 Disclaimer: I received an e-arc for review from the publisher  
📌 Publication date: 13/05/2025

This is my first book by Axie Oh but it certainly won't be my last. At just under 360 pages, I flew through it. The Floating World is a re-imagining of the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens. 

It's told through the POV of Ren, Sunho, and Jaeil. Sunho and Ren are great main characters and I liked their sweet and wholesome romance. Sungo is a lost ex-soldier who is stoic and emotionally closed off, while Ren is a bubbly and cheerful acrobatic. Although they have opposite personalities they find common ground. I enjoyed their journey together and seeing their relationship develop. 

The world building was well done, with no info dumping. It was unique and different from books I've read before. The plot twists were great and kept me hooked. This was such a fun read, I honestly cannot wait for the sequel. 

Rating:

Review: This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara

She knows the taste of death. He'll stoke her hunger for it.

Eighteen-year-old Sarai doesn't know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, and is assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra. Ice-cold and perennially sadistic, Kadra is the most vicious of the four judges who rule the land - and the prime suspect in a string of deaths identical to Sarai's attempted murder.

Certain of his guilt, Sarai begins a double life: solving cases with Kadra by day and plotting his ruin by night. But Kadra is charming and there's something alluring about the wrath he wields against the city's corruption. So when the evidence she finds embroils her in a deadly political battle, Sarai must also fight against her attraction to Kadra - because despite his growing hold on her heart, his voice matches the only memory she has of her assailant...

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📌 Disclaimer: I received an e-arc for review from the publisher  
📌 Publication date: 03/04/2025 

This Monster of Mine is very dark, I'd suggest reading the trigger warnings before going into it. To me, the opening was disturbing and set the tone for the rest of the story. I didn't know how brutal it was going to be before picking it up. However, while it didn't work for me due to the dark tone and violence I can see it appealing to people who are after this type of romantasy. 

It's hard to create a standalone fantasy book that doesn't feel rushed. However, Abeysekara delivers both great world building and character development. The main character, Sarai, is quiet but fiery. Someone not to be underestimated and very easy to root for. The romance is a slow burn, it truly deliveries on enemies to lovers. Plus, the love interest is all about consent! 

If you want a dark romantasy that is is equal parts romance and plot then look no further. While This Monster of Mine wasn't my cup of tea, I would still recommend it as I have no complaints about the world building or romance. 

Rating: 

Review: The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon

Paige Mahoney is outside the Republic of Scion for the first time in more than a decade – but she has no idea how she got to the free world. Half a year has been wiped from her memory.

As she makes her way back to the revolution, her journey takes her to Venice, where she learns a dangerous secret – one that could change the face of the war between humans and immortals. Before she can return to London, she must help the Domino Programme unravel the sinister Operation Ventriloquist.

And it soon becomes clear that the one person who could recover her memories – Arcturus Mesarthim – might also hold the key to saving Italy.

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📌 Disclaimer: I received an e-arc for review from the publisher  
📌 Publication date: 25/02/2025

The Bone Season series is one of my favourite on-going series'. I'm so grateful to have read this advanced readers copy after 4 years of waiting for the fifth installment. Unsurprisingly, I have given it five stars, my second of the year!

I can't say too much without giving away spoilers, so I will keep this review short. In The Dark Mirror Paige visits non-Scion controlled countries for the first time, with Italy being the main setting. From her time there you get a real sense of just how much control Scion has over the countries it rules, as Paige experiences mundane things for the first time such as drinking a latte or wearing jeans. I don't really read urban fantasy, but the fantasy elements in this series combined with the dystopian elements blend together nicely to create an unique and fascinating world. Shannon paints a vivid and beautiful vision of the countries Paige visits, so much so that you feel as if you're really there. 

I would say that this is the most romantic book in the series so far. Warden and Paige have a complex relationship, and while usually at this point, five books into the series, I would loose interest that most definitely isn't the case here. 

Paige is as resilient as ever, and the cast of secondary characters from Nick and Maria to Maria's girlfriend, Verča, make a wonderful team. I also like that we see more of the Ranthen, and get to know their personalities better. I hope their presence continues to grow in the next book. 

With high stakes and a cleverly woven plot, The Dark Mirror, made me feel a roller coaster of emotions.  I can't believe we're nearing the end of the series with only two more books to go, hopefully the wait for the next installment isn't too long! 

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